Pedro Martinez looking at Game 6 start for Phillies as 'a blessing'

Jared Wickerham/Getty ImagesPedro Martinez speaks to the media Tuesday.NEW YORK — He stepped up to the podium at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, dressed
in a black leather jacket and jeans. And for roughly 20 minutes, Pedro
Martinez did what he does when he’s under the lights and behind a
microphone. He entertained.

In a freewheeling and colorful chat with reporters at Yankee Stadium,
Martinez talked about his looming matchup with Yankees pitcher Andy
Pettitte — a bout between “two old goats,” he said.

He said he hoped people would one day talk about him the way they talk
about Babe Ruth, preferably before he dies. He said he doesn’t want to
be remembered as a “horse**** human being.” And he said Red Sox fans
want the Yankees to lose “even in Nintendo games.”

Whether in front of the cameras or on the mound, Martinez has always
embraced the spotlight. And the Phillies need him to thrive in it Wednesday night in Game 6 of the World Series.

With their bullpen looking as shaky as it has all postseason and
Pettitte starting for the Yankees, the Phillies need Martinez to be
every bit as good as he was in Game 2, if not better.

Martinez looked dominant at times in his first start of the series,
finishing with eight strikeouts. But his stat line was not as
impressive as some of his breaking balls. He gave up three runs in
six-plus innings.

This time, the stakes will be higher, perhaps more so than in any start
of Martinez’s storied career. And while not even Martinez knows just
how well he’ll pitch, this much is fairly certain: He will enjoy
himself.

“I look at this situation as a blessing,” Martinez said. “I mean, what
else would I want? I’m doing the job I love. I’m doing something that
not everybody gets to do. Two months back, I was sitting at home not
doing anything.

“None of you were thinking of me whatsoever, none of you were asking me
questions. And today I am here, probably pitching in one of the biggest
games ever in the World Series.”

It was four months ago, not two, that Martinez was still in the
Dominican Republic, an unsigned free agent. But it might as well have
been a year ago.

Since then, the 38-year-old Martinez has revived his career, which came
to a crossroads after the Mets declined to re-sign him last winter.

With the Red Sox, Martinez pitched in some epic games against the
Yankees, most notably Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Now, he said his career
will come “full circle” as he pitches opposite Pettitte, whom he first
faced in 1998.

Martinez seems to appreciate his history against the Yankees, even if
it hasn’t always been in his favor. In four playoff appearances at
Yankee Stadium (new and old), Martinez is 0-2 with a 5.75 ERA.

When he takes the mound again there Wednesday night, Martinez will no doubt have a sense of the moment.

“When you mention Derek Jeter, you mention Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira, I
see those guys as the future of the game, the next Babe Ruth and Hank
Aaron,” Martinez said.

“I get to once again probably experience seeing Mariano (Rivera) again, which I will continue to pay my tickets to go watch.”

Of course, the Phillies would much prefer not to face Rivera. And if
Martinez does what they believe he is capable of, they may not have to.

The key for Martinez will likely be his ability to change speeds and
locate his pitches with precision to keep hitters off balance the way
he did in Game 2.

The days of him overpowering hitters are long gone, so he must rely on
his knowledge of hitters and raw instincts to outsmart them.

“It’s survival,” Martinez said. “That’s what we call it in the
Dominican — survival. And in baseball, I am a survivor. I’m someone
that wasn’t meant to be, and here I am on one big stage.”

As he left that stage Tuesday, Martinez ran into Phillies manager
Charlie Manuel, whose own news conference followed The Pedro Show.

As he walked by Manuel, Martinez smiled and told him, “I knocked them dead."